Jan 25 (edited) in General discussion
Welcome to the Traditional Shotokan Community :-) Start here!
Hi! π
Welcome to our (and now yours too) Traditional Shotokan Community!
I'm thrilled to see you here!
You're about to become a Shotokan Ninja! π₯·π
Shotokan Karate is often seen as a sport like any others...
...But in fact it's far more than that!
I have great respect for the many athletes who dedicate themselves to their sport and achieve sometimes impressive performances.
But however, as I already told you, here you won't find red and blue gloves Karate! π
Competition is cool, but it can only suit a few.
And like Funakoshi Gichin Sensei (one of the founding fathers of Karate), I believe that Karate is for everyone and that its regular practice can dramatically change your life.
I first consider, practice and teach Karate as a way, a path to self-perfection, personal growth and fulfillment.
It's what we call a BudΕ (which means Way of the Warrior).
I believe that by drawing inspiration from the spirit of Zen and the ancient samurai, we can build for ourselves a new mindset and a new sense of center, peace and harmony that will support us in our everyday - often chaotic - lives.
There are many motives why you might want to practice Shotokan Karate, including:
- Health and fitness
- Balance, joy and well-being
- Self-improvement, personal growth and fulfillment
- Self-defense and preservation
- Art, expression and culture
- Sport, fun and friendships
And be sure that practicing Shotokan will absolutely benefit you in all of these areas, regardless of your reason for starting in the first place!
- "Ok Nicolas that all sounds great, but Karate is tough, Karate is violent!"
Right! It can be rough sometimes... But only for advanced dedicated practitioners...
But also wrong... Because true Karate is anything but violent.
Keep in mind that one of the most famous quote by Funakoshi Sensei (which is engraved on his tomb) was:
"Karate ni sente nashi"
=> There is no first attack in Karate.
Old Karate was only about defense, health, preservation and self-improvement.
There are therefore many ways to practice Karate depending on your motivations, your availability and your condition.
And of course, if as a beginner you take a regular black belt class, you will be very disappointed (and probably scared!).
Same thing for a regular black belt taking an instructor class.
The key is to know what you want and where you are at, and from there take the classes that really suit you and be patient with yourself.
And of course, you are here to enjoy every step you take during this beautiful journey, YOUR journey.
Step by step...
Remember, only those who don't get started are sure to fail!
I'm therefore rolling up my sleeves to share with you all the different fundamental aspects - according to my own vision and experience - of this beautiful art called Shotokan.
Health, Fitness, Self-Defense, Mindset, Culture, Art are all topics that I will cover and which make Shotokan so special and so beautiful.
And in addition to these posts and shares, over time you will find in the Classroom section absolutely FREE online classes and courses, among which:
- "Classical" Shotokan training (the one I learned in Japan!) for beginners and more advanced practicioners
- Yoga for Karate (suitable to everyone)
- Slow Shotokan (also accessible to all)
I also plan to sometimes do free live classes if that might interest you.
- "Cool brother but who the hell are you???"
Yes, maybe I should have started there.
Let me introduce myself in a (very) summarized manner:
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I'm Nicolas, from France.
Originally from a small seaside town, I teach Karate, Yoga and some other things I like to call self mastery.
Influenced by Bruce Lee and the great martial arts movies of the 80's and 90's, I've dedicated my life to Shotokan Karate-do and I've been practicing it almost daily for the last 30 years.
I've studied a lot under the guidance of the greatest Japanese Sensei's (teachers) and I spent a lot of time in Japan, training in the HQ of the most famous Karate organizations and also in university.
Even though I had my period of competition, I've always considered Karate as way of life, which we can call BudΕ, and not just as a sport.
Practicing and studying Karate will help you to develop your potential, both physical and mental.
Little by little, your body will become stronger and more flexible, and your mind will find a new kind of sharpness, strength and clarity.
But above all, Karate will make you grow spiritually, helping you connect with your true self and find inner peace, happiness and harmony.
As you understand, I believe that martial arts are great ways to expand ourselves and to improve the quality of our lives.
But they are not the only ones and besides Karate, I also practice a lot of Yoga and Surfing which help me to develop my physical, mental and spiritual potential.
So you will also find here some Yoga classes, talks and videos that will help you to build a strong and flexible body, driven by a focused and calm spirit.
So, since I started Karate at the age of 17, I've never stopped practicing it almost daily.
And now that I discovered Yoga, I've totally integrated it in my daily Karate Routine (Which I do every morning at 6am).
I continue to learn about Karate, myself and spiritual growth everyday by practicing, reading, and following the path of my Sensei in Japan, Tamang Pemba.
I wish you a beautiful journey of fulfillment towards your true self and the life you are born to live.
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Ok, no more talk,
I'd love to hear from you now!
Please introduce yourself!
(Don't be shy, it's a safe place here, and we are in this group to share, make connections and take this beautiful journey of fulfillment together!π)
OSS
Nicolas
PS: If you haven't already done it, for a better experience and always have your favorite community in your pocket, you can download the Skool App from the stores! π
Additionally, if you are looking for specific content within the community, you can use the top search bar or filter posts by categories (category tags are located above the list of posts).
Also, you have probably already seen that as a community member, you can earn points and move up through different levels by participating in the group activity. Some leaderboards (weekly, monthly and all-time) show your position and progress, and free content will be unlocked in the Classroom when you reach higher levels. In our community, levels start at Shodan (1st Dan π₯) and end at KyΕ«dan (9th Dan π§ββοΈ).
Complete action
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Welcome to the Traditional Shotokan Community :-) Start here!
skool.com/traditional-shotokan-community-6195
The home of Traditional Shotokan Karate-do!
Here no blue and red gloves! π
Karate as BudΕ, as a way of life, personal growth and enlightenment.
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